


Shark Tooth Kiss

by SunMoonAndSpoon



Category: Free!
Genre: Blood, Christmas, Injury, M/M, Mistletoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 13:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2852441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunMoonAndSpoon/pseuds/SunMoonAndSpoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin’s shark teeth make kissing Rei under the mistletoe a dangerous prospect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shark Tooth Kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fallen-lucifiel](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=fallen-lucifiel).



> This is my entry for the RinRei Secret Santa Exchange, which was set up by the lovely Ruby, aka thesparklylady. Merry Christmas to my Secret Santa, fallen-lucifiel! I'm a huge fan of your art, so being paired with you was an honor. I hope this story finds you well, and that you enjoy it. 
> 
> While this story is basically fluffy and romantic, there is some violence and blood, caused accidentally. Please be aware of this when proceeding.

“For the last time, Rin-san, it’s okay. I know it was an accident. Please stop making me reassure you, it hurts to talk.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.” Rin reaches out and presses the washcloth harder against Rei’s busted lower lip. Rei bats his hand away, then apologizes. His voice is garbled by the blood flowing out of his mouth. The washcloth is drenched in red by this point. Rin gets up to find another washcloth, wincing at the color. “Here,” he says, handing it to Rei instead of applying it himself like he wants to. “Are you okay?” This earns him a nod and a soft burst of moaning. 

 

They’ve been sitting in the emergency room for close to an hour now. Rei’s still bleeding, but apparently he isn’t bleeding profusely enough that anybody is going to do anything about it. So far, the only thing that’s happened is that a receptionist-type-person took Rei’s name and his insurance information, and then they were told to wait. Like this is a doctor’s office and they’re here for vaccinations instead of emergency services. Rei is going to bleed to death and it’s going to be Rin’s fault.

He sighs, wrecks his hair with curled-up fingers. “I’m sorry,” he says again. Rei sighs. This isn’t how either of them pictured spending the night after Nagisa’s Christmas party. Actually, Rin had had big plans. Plans involving Rei, and kissing. Dipping him low to the ground under the mistletoe that Nagisa spent four hours flitting from store to store to buy, pressing his rough lips against Rei’s soft, pink, well-moisturized ones, running his hands through his thick, shiny hair and definitely, definitely not causing any permanent physical damage with his monster teeth. Fuck.

 

He managed to do the first part. It was two hours into the Nagisa’s Christmas party and they were sitting around wearing ugly sweaters and eating Christmas cake. Rin was trying to offload his cake onto his sister’s plate, as it was much too sweet for him. “That’s a good idea,” said Rei. “This cake is mostly butter and sugar, it’s terribly unhealthy. The only part worth eating is the strawberries.”

“Do you like the cake?” asked Rin, pointing a forkful in Rei’s direction.

“Of course I do,” he said, shoving his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Nagisa made it himself. It’s delicious, it’s just not healthy. I’m not making a judgment about the taste, don’t be crass.” 

“Okay, okay, calm down. I’m just asking because the only reason I don’t want to finish mine is I don’t like sweets all that much. If you do, you should eat the freakin’ cake. It’s a party, it’s fun, you’re not going to die if you have a little bit more sugar than usual.”

“I’m not expecting to die, I just care about my health, that’s all.”

At this point Rin was getting irritated with Rei. This didn’t mean that he’d stopped being interested in kissing him, it just meant that he wasn’t interested in hearing him speak. Which sounded shitty even in his own mind, and it wasn’t exactly correct. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to hear Rei speak, he just didn’t want to hear him speak about this. He wanted him to relax and enjoy himself instead of worrying about the lack of health benefits in Christmas cake. This was a party, it was supposed to be fun, it had been ages since any of them had had any fun what with masses of schoolwork and grueling swim practices. Rei was being twitchy and weird. Or maybe he wasn’t and Rin was just projecting his own feelings onto him. Because Rin felt like he’s about to jump out the goddamn window. He shouldn’t have come to the party with plans this big.

His eyes twitched up toward the mistletoe, of which Nagisa had hung up a huge bunch in the doorway. Nobody had dared stand under it yet except for Momo, who had hung around in the doorway for twenty minutes until Haru told him to leave so that he could get through with the food. Momo had skulked away, hands in his pockets and pouting. Nagisa had flitted under the mistletoe several times, eyeing Rei and smiling, but Rei either hadn’t noticed or had deliberately ignored him. Rin was banking on deliberately ignored. Because Rin didn’t want Rei to be interested in kissing Nagisa, he wanted Rei to be interested in kissing Rin.

If that was going to happen, he’d have to position himself by the mistletoe, and he’d have to do it while Rei was looking at him. Either that, or he’d have to get Rei to stand under it somehow. Could he leave it to Nagisa, steal a kiss that he set up? No, that would be incredibly shitty. He had to find a way to do it himself.

So he just sat there eating cake he didn’t like and eating fried chicken he didn’t like either, and crossing his arms and sighing. Rei eventually got up to serve himself carrot sticks, and then to help Nagisa with his iPod, which had suddenly stopped recognizing the speakers. Just as well, because Rin didn’t think he could stand to listen to any more Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. He watched Rei meander around the room, talking to Haru about something he learned this morning about the history of swimming pools, asking Makoto if he’s feeling better after his recent bout with the flu, complimenting Gou’s enormous paper mache antlers. He didn’t branch outside his Iwatobi comrades, which made Rin wonder if he had any hope at all of getting that kiss.

Eventually, Rei found his way to the doorway, but not of his own volition. Nagisa had pulled him there. Rin’s heart climbed into its throat and camped out there, like a child that refused to leave their tree house. He was about to lose Rei and he hadn’t even tried to win him. All he’d done was whine at him about cake. He watched Nagisa smile at Rei, flutter his eyelashes and grab his hands and then…leave?? And then start walking up to Rin with a big sloppy grin on his face??

“Rin-chan,” he said, rocking back on the heels of his ridiculous elf boots. “I did something nice for you.”

“Oh really,” grumbled Rin. Whatever Nagisa was talking about, Rin was quite sure that it wasn’t something nice. Nagisa smiled, and Rin thought he saw something sly in that smile, but as soon as the thought appeared, he could tell that he’d made it up. Rin had a hard time trusting people, even when he should. He sighed. “What did you do?”

“I got Rei-chan set up by the mistletoe for you,” he said, hands clasped behind his back. “Better go get him before he gets bored and wanders off, right?”

Rin raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about? I thought that you were into Rei, so why would you…how do you…what…?” He trailed off into silence, because all he could summon was a swishy mess of disconnected words.

“Not gonna say I never was, but Rei told me he was hoping to get a kiss from you tonight, so I thought I’d help him out.” Then, some actual slyness slid into that grin. “You could see if maybe Ai-chan might be interested in me?” The slyness became a violent blush, and Nagisa’s eyes went so wide and wet they brought to mind ripe fruit. “I mean, you don’t have to or anything. It’s just, I think he’s pretty cute, you know?”

The notion that Nagisa conjured up this crush to kill his Rei thing did cross Rin’s mind, but he chose to ignore it. Maybe Nagisa’s Rei thing was never serious, maybe he’d been nursing a crush on Ai for a while now. In any case, Rin wasn’t going to spit on his benevolence. He wasn’t going to ignore Rei standing in the doorway, hands stuffed into the pockets of his snowflake sweater, staring up at the shiny green mistletoe and waiting for him. Rin walked over, stood under the doorway and stared up too. “Hey,” he’d said.

“Oh, hello again Rin-san. What an interesting coincidence that we should both be standing here in this doorway.” Rei’s face looked like it was boiling. What he was expecting was obvious. Not all of them knew what mistletoe was meant to signify before Nagisa brought it up, but if anybody had researched it, it would be Rei. “Um,” he said, voice catching in his throat. “Did you know that a weapon made of mistletoe was used to kill the Norse god, Baldr? Oh, no, that’s probably too violent to…did you know that it’s used to treat respiratory diseases and cancer?! No, that’s not right either…” Rei crosses his arms, sighs, heavily. “I can’t think of anything romantic about mistletoe to tell you.”

“You want to tell me something romantic?” purred Rin. He smiled, feeling oiled up, feline. He put his hand on Rei’s shoulder and leaned in, breathing his holiday-spice-mix cologne. “How about this one? When you stand under a bunch of mistletoe, you can expect to get a kiss in return. And here you are, standing under a bunch of mistletoe.” Rei nodded. Rin could almost hear his heart thumping in his chest.

Without thinking about it anymore, he wrapped his arms around Rei’s shoulders, hands reaching up to stroke his soft, clean hair. “You want me to kiss you?” he murmured.

“Oh, please do,” gasped Rei. And so he did, tongue running along the ridges of his lips, slipping through and finding Rei’s tongue, Electric warmth slithered through his synapses, and he found himself grinding his hips against Rei’s, kissing him harder, faster than he should have in front of all these people. If it had lasted any longer, Sousuke might have walked up and pulled Rin away, telling him he was blocking the doorway, or Makoto might have pleaded with them to be slightly more appropriate. That would have made sense, because before it happened Rin’s hand was traveling down Rei’s chest then down his stomach then fingering the waistband of his pants….but he didn’t get that far.

Suddenly, Rei was screaming and turning away from him. Bringing his hand to his mouth. Blood was trailing from his fingers, he was hunched over and groaning in pain. It took a minute for Rin to register what had happened—he’d bit Rei’s lower lip by mistake, and he’d bitten it hard. When Rei took his hand away Rin could see a little tooth-shaped hole in the webby flesh. “Fuck!” shouted Rin. “Oh my fucking god I’m so sorry, shit shit shit!” His throat got tight, tears started welling in his eyes, and then he noticed that the party had screeched to a grinding halt and the whole room was crushed around the doorway.

“That looks like it needs stitches,” said Gou. “Nii-san, go get Rei a towel to mop up the blood. Do we know anybody who can drive him there, or do we need to call an ambulance?”

“My older sister has a driver’s license…I think she’s in her room.” Nagisa disappeared, then reappeared with his sister, who started up the car before she even put her coat on. Nagisa went after her with the coat, and Haru took responsibility for guiding Rei to the car. Rei insisted he was fine, didn’t need to go to the hospital or need any other help at all, but the blood trailing in his wake as he made his way to the car told a different story.

Rin stood there, pressed against the door frame, punching himself in the leg until Gou walked up to him and grabbed his arm and dragged him into the car. “You need to be supportive and go with him. It’s the least you can do.”

“Why the fuck would he want me there?” snapped Rin. “I probably just maimed him for life.”

“Right, so, show that you’re sorry and be there for him through the hospital visit.” After that there was no more arguing, Gou just pulled him outside and pushed him into the backseat of the car, next to Rei, who was using his bloodstained snowflake sweater as a pillow, and lying down across most of the backseat. He drew his knees in to make room for Rin, and said nothing. Nagisa was in the front seat and his sister in the driver’s seat, and within seconds they were headed toward the snow-choked road.

Now, Nagisa is talking to a passing nurse, trying to get somebody to take a look at Rei’s ruined face. Nagisa’s sister has left to properly park her car. Rin is supposed to be in charge of contacting Rei’s parents, but right now he’s so wrecked with guilt he’s finding it hard to move. He wants to punch something—himself, a wall, anything to rid himself of all the vile feelings churning around in his gut. Rei isn’t talking to him anymore, instead he’s just leaning against the arm of his chair and staring at the floor.

It physically hurts not to apologize again, and he tries to stop himself, hard. Focuses on counting tiles on the wall and getting unreasonably angry at a 7-year-old with a broken hand who won’t stop crying. Thankfully, he says nothing to the kid. Instead he manages to say something that’s relevant to the situation but which doesn’t require an answer from Rei. “I wish they wouldn’t take so damn long,” he grumbles.

Rei nods, and then, unexpectedly, he actually replies. “Yes…this is terrible timing. The emergency room is dealing with a lot of flu cases right now, and some of them are really serious. I probably just need a few stitches, so it makes sense that I’m being kept waiting.”

“You’re going to bleed to death before they give you your stitches!” shouts Rin, fingers curling into fists.

Rei leans over and puts the hand that’s not pressing a towel to his mouth on Rin’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine. I’m not bleeding profusely enough that I’m in any danger. I’m not worried. If anything, I’m worried about you—did you get a flu shot this year?” Rin shakes his head. “You should see if you can get one while you’re here.”

“I thought you said it hurt for you to talk?” Rin raises an eyebrow. A few minutes ago Rei hadn’t been willing to reassure him. Does he cut such a pathetic figure now that Rei feels he has to even if he doesn’t feel up to it? Rin leans forward and heaves a sigh. Rei shrugs, and says he’s feeling somewhat better now. He doesn’t look like he’s feeling better at all. His face is distressingly pale, with an olive green sheen, and his left eye is twitching. “You look like you feel like shit,” Rin says.

“I am feeling a bit nauseous from swallowing blood,” confesses Rei.

“I should never have kissed you. I’m such a fucking idiot. Was this your first kiss? Please tell me this wasn’t your first kiss.”

“It was…” Rin buries his head in his hands and groans. Rei rubs his shoulder with his knuckles. Rin shrugs him off, not wanting Rei’s comfort when Rin is the one who’s done something wrong. Hadn’t Rei asked him not to make him comfort him? What the hell is Rin even supposed to be doing right now? Rei blinks, obviously put off by Rin’s abruptness. Rin squeezes his eyes shut, mentally cursing himself for fucking things up with Rei yet again.

Rei says, “it was memorable, if nothing else. Anyway, as long as you get fitted for a mouth guard of some kind, future kisses won’t be so dangerous.”

“Future? You’re actually willing to kiss me again after what I just did?” Rin stares at Rei with wide, teary eyes, and Rei nods.

“As long as we take the appropriate precautions, yes. I’ve been wanting to kiss you for months now—I wouldn’t want my only experience to end with a trip to the emergency room. We should replace it with something better, don’t you think?”

 

Rin responds to this by throwing his arms around Rei and hugging him as tightly as he can without choking him. “Rin, calm down, I need to keep the towel on my mouth!!” yelps Rei. Rin is about to draw back and start angrily apologizing, but Rei returns the hug. That same electric warmth he felt before returns. The thrill of holding Rei temporarily obliterates the guilt, the sounds of the whining kids and whirring fans and yelling nurses, the horrible end to what was meant to be a nice day. All he feels, for a good ten seconds, is wonderful.

Then they part from the hug, and Rin says, “after you’ve had a few days to rest up, you want to go for tea or something?

“I would like that very much,” says Rei. Rin grins, then flattens his lips to avoid showing off his shark teeth. “No kissing until you go to a dentist and get a decent mouth guard, though.”

“Of course. Wouldn’t want to mess up your beautiful face…or any other parts of you I might want to kiss.” Rei’s face lights up again, and he folds the whole towel over his face. For a minute Rin thinks he’s gone too far. After all, they had their first kiss today and it was an utter disaster. Rin is about to apologize again, but he ends up not having to, because Rei says,

“I’d be smiling right now if it didn’t hurt to move my lips.”


End file.
